Lucian FreudThe only comprehensive retrospective on one of the great painters of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries

With more than 480 illustrations, this is the most comprehensive publication to date on one of the greatest painters of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Lucian Freud.

Lucian Freud was one of the most significant artists of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and Phaidon is honoured to publish the most complete retrospective of his career to date.

This sumptuous, definitive set is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between David Dawson – Director of the Lucian Freud Archive and for two decades Freud’s assistant, model, and friend – author Martin Gayford, and editor Mark Holborn.

Their collaboration has resulted in a book that goes beyond the work to reveal insights into the man himself. Gayford describes Freud’s determination always to tell the truth about what he was recording in paint. He believed in a found beauty, not one that was imagined by an artist and then imposed on his subject. He painted what he saw, in exquisite detail, and he found it beautiful.

With more than 480 illustrations, Phaidon celebrates that beauty – evoked in portraits of Freud’s friends and family, his lovers, his neighbours, and others whose looks he liked, from his bookmaker to a bank robber.

This is both a vital contribution to art scholarship and a gorgeous addition to the bookshelves of art lovers around the world.

With more than 480 illustrations, this is the most comprehensive publication to date on one of the greatest painters of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Lucian Freud. See more: https://bit.ly/2x4kPkr

Kate by Mario SorrentiIntimate, never-before-published photographs taken just before Kate Moss's rise to fame, in one elegant volume

This gorgeously produced book features intimate, never-before-published portraits of a young and undiscovered Kate Moss, taken in the early 1990s by her then-boyfriend, Italian photographer Mario Sorrenti. Seen by Calvin Klein, the photographs gave life to the famous Obsession campaign, which launched Moss to international superstardom.

Sumptuously reproduced in tritone and presented in a cloth-covered clamshell box, Kate is a stunning photographic portfolio of one of contemporary culture's most iconic figures. It includes tipped-on images on the book and clamshell box's covers, plus an introductory essay by Sorrenti, which puts the work in its uniquely personal context.

This book, which celebrates the dawn of two legendary careers, and the start of the highly influential aesthetic of 1990s fashion photography, is a must-have for Kate Moss's fans, for fashion devotees, and for lovers of traditional portraiture and fashion photography.

This gorgeously produced book features never-before-published portraits of a young and undiscovered Kate Moss, taken in the early 1990s by her then-boyfriend, Italian photographer Mario Sorrenti. See more: https://bit.ly/2MizRc1

This is the only book to thoroughly document the world's finest examples of Brutalist architecture. More than 850 buildings - existing and demolished, classic and contemporary - are organized geographically into nine continental regions.

Presented in an oversized format with a specially bound case with three-dimensional finishes, 1000 beautiful duotone photographs throughout bring the graphic strength, emotional power, and compelling architectural presence of Brutalism to life.

From 20th century masters to contemporary architects, much-loved masterpieces in the UK and USA sit alongside lesser-known examples in Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond - 102 countries in all.

Big. Bold. Brutal. The only book to thoroughly document the world's finest examples of Brutalist architecture. More than 850 buildings - existing and demolished, classic and contemporary - are organized geographically into nine continental regions. See more: https://bit.ly/2NAmyIv

Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at VogueA chronicle of Grace Coddington's formative years at Vogue, now available as a jacketed paperback

Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue showcases some of the most memorable photographs published in British and American Vogue from 1972 to 2002, stories created by the iconic fashion editor Grace Coddington. Both monograph and memoir, the book shows how Coddington transformed static studio portraiture into modern vivid tableaux and turned location shoots into cinematic narratives.

First published in 2002 and reissued by Phaidon in 2015 to great success, this paperback, midi-sized edition includes forewords by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Grace: Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue showcases some of the most memorable photographs published in British and American Vogue from 1972 to 2002, stories created by the iconic fashion editor Grace Coddington. See more: https://bit.ly/2NwDdMZ

Aydin Büyüktas’ photographs are a bit like the first plunge on a rollercoaster. The scene plummets away from you, leaving you disoriented yet giddy and just a bit unsettled as you try to make sense of just what you’re seeing.

— WIRED

Lannoo Publishers | 9789401454407

ABOUT THE BOOK

An American football pitch as a skateboard ramp and the Aya Sofia as a rollercoaster: the images by Turkish photographer Aydin Büyüktas are literally mind-bending. After going viral, they are now finally also available in book format, including entirely new images and a making-of, which shows the photographer's working methods with drone technology. His brainchild Flatland is named after Edwin Abbott Abbott's satire book about a two-dimensional world populated by geometric figures, from which certain parts have been included in this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aydin Büyüktas is a photographer and visual artist. His Flatland series was well-received by international press and was featured by Wired, The Times and many others.

Rustic and elegant French décor never goes out of style and with easy yet sophisticated accessories for your home, these 70 projects will transform your space and add that special touch to any room.

Jamie Lundstrom's projects use easy-to-find and recycled objects, as well as new materials, to bring her French vintage style into your life. Projects span every season and category, from sewing to painting and upholstery, including provincial antique baskets, a fantastique Trumeau mirror, a jolie gold leaf frame, boutique plaster of Paris-dipped flowers and a chic antique chair. Featuring simple step-by-step instructions with beautiful photos to help guide you, these projects can be created in just a few hours or less.

Have we told you yet how much we're obsessed with Vancouver Special? When it opened in April 2008, we couldn't believe there was finally a store devoted to high quality and AFFORDABLE (!!!!) Scandinavian and Japanese design. It is a mini sanctuary just on the edge of Vancouver's bustling downtown core. They offer an incredible selection of contemporary furniture, sofas, design objects, household accessories, and art and architecture books. Please check it out if you're in Vancouver. You will not be disappointed.

The Royal Museum Shop, located within the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, offers an eclectic selection of finely curated gifts, books, jewelry, toys, and art. The store and the museum are both a must-visit if you're in the area.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, in its 53rd year organized by the Natural History Museum in London, just recently finished, but there's still plenty to see. Founded in 1886, the museum has collected and preserved the province’s most significant artifacts and specimens for visitors to explore.

For more information visit http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca, and be sure to pick up of your copy of Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 27 (978-0565094157). Photos below!

Tim’s Vermeer is now showing until Thursday at TIFF Bell Lightbox thanks to Mongrel Media. It’s a film with a pretty interesting concept. It follows Inventor Tim Jenison on his journey to understand how Vermeer was able to paint with such realism. For a better synopsis, I encourage you to watch the trailer below. I can almost guarantee you’ll be fascinated.

It is completely understandable that someone like Jenison, would be wary about how Vermeer was able to create such masterpieces. After all, his paintings are nearly flawless. So flawless that I'm tempted to join Jenison in believing that Vermeer had an incredibly complicated method, just to feel better about my own abilities. That said, the trailer leaves me wanting to know more about Vermeer and his techniques, and luckily enough I know just how to find out. After I’ve gone to one of this week’s screenings I’m going to follow it up with some light reading:

A good place to start is with Vermeer: The Complete Paintings from Abrams. This book, which is a survey of all of Vermeer’s works, will help a reader familiarize themselves with the artist’s catalog immediately.

This book offers full-page spreads of masterpieces as well as highlights of smaller details--allowing the viewer to appreciate every aspect of the artist's technique and oeuvre.

Tell me that doesn't sound like a great way to understand the method of our favorite dutch master.

Finally, now that we know all about Vermeer’s work and technique, we can follow in Tim Jenison’s footsteps and create masterpieces of our own. Of course, I’ll have a copy of Colouring Book Jan Vermeer from Prestel to help me in my endeavor. After all, not all of us can be masters!

If you are interested in seeing Tim’s Vermeer click here for show times. Happy painting!

Join us Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. for an hour of fascinating conversation about Judith Miller’s life with antiques and a glimpse into her latest book heralding design from the 1940s to 1960s. Miller’s Mid-Century Modern (Mitchell Beazley, 978-1845336936) is a comprehensive and critical guide to one of the most exciting periods in design history and one of the hottest design trends of the moment. This invaluable book covers all of the most iconic designs and designers emanating from the 1940s to 1960s and explores the most desirable furniture, ceramics, glass, metalware, interiors and textiles from the period.
The event will take place at the AGO (317 Dundas street W) visit http://artmatters.ca/wp/2012/10/designtalk-judith-miller-and-mid-century-modern-in-shopago/ for more information.

Congrats are in order for Naoko Stoop, one of the recipients of the New York Times' coveted Best Illustrated Children's Book Awards of 2012! The ten winners were just announced over twitter feed recently by Pamela Paul from the New York Times. There should be more information on the awards apearing soon in the NY Times review section.

Red Knit Cap Girl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) is a book that will entertain young and old with its stunning and intricate images and touching story. From the heart of an enchanted forest, the reader follows a little girl and her woodland friends on an mission to talk to the moon. The beauty of the natural world pops through the illustrations painted on wood grain.

The Art and Making of the Dark Knight Trilogy (ABRAMS Books, ISBN 9781419703690) tells the complete behind-the-scenes story of all three Batman legends - Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises - through lush art and photography.

One of the most anticipated film releases of summer 2012, The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled for release in theatres on July 20th, 2012 and is anticipated to break all existing box-office records! Stay tuned for more on the book closer to the release date.

It has probably crossed your mind at some point that you could create a work of art. For most people that idea is almost immediately dismissed. However, Dover Publishing has a great motivator to start your kids off right!
ISBN: 9780486479422 Publisher: DoverCAD $4.99

Build A Poster Coloring Book: Knights and Dragons is one of the coolest kids books you'll find. Not only is it a fun coloring book, but you can take all of the finished pages out of the book and put them together. Voila! You have your very own poster! Very cool.

Dr. Sketchy's Toronto presents a very special Anti-Art class as part of Toronto Comic Arts Festival. They've teamed up with graphic novel publisher SelfMadeHero and are stepping back in time to 1920s Paris for a special Sketchy's with themed poses, performances and prizes to celebrate the new graphic novel biography of Kiki's life by TCAF featured guests Catel & Bocquet.

Catel & Bocquet – the award-winning French comics creators will be on hand to tell you a little about Kiki's life as the muse of photographer Man Ray and lead the way with the life drawing. In between sketching you'll get a chance to grab a drink and food and take in some great music.

This isn't about being an amazing artist, as long as you can put pencil to paper and move it around that's good enough for us! Artists of all experience levels can enter to win cool prizes from the publisher SelfMadeHero. Bring your own pens, pencils or try our art supplies, courtesy of Midoco.ca

So join Dr. Sketchy's for a fun evening of life drawing with one of Toronto's finest burlesque performers, two of France's finest comics creators and North America's newest graphic novel imprint, SelfMadeHero. Arrive early to secure the best tables!_______________________

Founded in 2005 by artist provocateur Molly Crabapple, Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art school is the world's premier alt.drawing movement. Artists draw glamorous underground performers in an atmosphere of boozy conviviality. Found in 2005 in a dive bar in Brooklyn, Dr. Sketchy's has now spread to over 100 cities around the world.

Women are Heroes is an extraordinary book. In order to share the stories of women struggling in their everyday lives, French artist JR went on a journey. He travelled to places like Sierra Leone, Liberia, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, India and Cambodia to seek these women out. This was a global project with the end goal of taking the stories of struggling women, and spreading them around the world through his art. He accomplished this by pasting mural sized portraits on the sides of buildings, on trains, and on bridges to bring a "haunting human presence to harsh environments of social conflict".

This beautifully illustrated book will inspire you, and others around the world.

Have you ever thought you were so hungry you could eat a horse? Well, this book just one-upped you.
In A World of Food, Karl Warner creates a visually stunning display of landscape food art. Rather than just taking a snapshot of delicious looking food, Karl actually takes food and creates interesting works of art. And if you wanted to try something similar, or you just have a craving, you're all set! At the back of the book, Karl lists each of the ingredients he used for his works of art beside the image he used them in.

This book is creatively delicious and it will leave you hungry for more!

Have you noticed how what you do in a day has quite a lot to do with what you’re wearing? You forget your glasses, you miss the bus. You wear lucky underpants and suddenly everything goes your way. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t want their journal to be about feelings and bad poetry, grab a copy of What I Wore Today and start scribbling about your wardrobe!

Let your imagination run wild. Use author/illustrator Gemma Correll’s little mannequin to sketch yourself and fill in the blanks about the day – its highs, its lows, and what you’ve been up to. From shoes to umbrellas, you can be as creative with your style as you like. You’re never too old to get lost in a doodle!

What I Wore Today: Doodle Yourself into a Style Icon By Gemma Correll | $14.99 CAN | 9781846013959

Not only will this new board book help youngsters develop a sense of visual discrimination, but parents might find it helpful when picking out paint colours for the kitchen!

This adorable first colours board book introduces children to 20 shades of 9 basic colours. The beauty of the book is that it offers parents the chance to discuss concepts of colour variety, light and dark, and tones in a fun interactive way. Young children might begin by simply naming the colours but will soon grow to select their favourites. This delightful little book will be sure to inspire buckets full of fun before bedtime, all the while building a stellar vocabulary!

FUN FACT: Books about colour consistently outsell books on shapes, numbers, the alphabet and other early childhood concepts! Who knew?!

I used to read a magazine published until about 2001 by the New York Academy of Sciences called 'The Sciences'. It was just a thin popular science mag but it had thoughtful, well-written articles about far-ranging subjects in each volume. One of the very best things about this multi-award-winning publication was the art that graced every cover and which accompanied each article. It gave the magazine a very distinctive - some have called it "high-brow" - look. To me, it was food for the mind and for the soul, thoughtfully curated and written, and mailed out to me every month.
Until now, I haven't seen anything that struck me in quite the same way as 'The Sciences' always did. Thanks to this book, I now feel renewed in a way that I didn't really know I was missing.

Boy of Bone isn't just a book of short-stories, it's a beautiful combination of art and prose. Each of the stories - all written by author K. R. Sands - was inspired by an exhibit in the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. This museum houses a large collection of medical specimens and oddities, around 12 of which Sands has spun remarkable tales starring real people (including Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter, the museum's eponymous benefactor; Marie Curie and Marcel Duchamp; and the senors Bunuel and Dali). The stories are arranged chronologically as you read through the book; even taking us to the year 2020 by the end.

Boy of Bone was a joy to read, to hold and to look at. All of the stories were surprising; none was disappointing (but The Pump Twin is my favourite; only by the slimmest of margins). If you can get hold of this book, you won't be disappointed.

VERSAILLES. A spectacular opulent relic of royal wealth and power. Only the French could craft what was once a humble hunting lodge into the magnificent chateau and UNESCO World Heritage site that it is today. It is grand, it is extravagant, it is priceless. The new book VERSAILLES by Valerie Bajou explores the chateau from top to bottom in an extensive photographic tour that reveals the many artistic and architectural treasures of this palace of palaces. Perfection.

Lillian Bassman is a beloved figure in the pantheon of fashion photographers and who The Times of London called "one of the finest and most respected photographers of her generation.” Her signature style, once described by Richard Avedon as making "visible that heart-breaking invisible place between the appearance and the disappearance of things,” offers a sensuous and intimate vision of modern women. Lillian Bassman: Lingerie (Abrams, March 2012; U.S. $32.95; hardcover) is a collection of more than 80 black & white photographs that showcases the quintessential modern feminine image of women in their lingerie. This body of work that spans sixty years, rises above its commercial roots to portray a private realm where women appear to be effortlessly self-possessed.

Photo reprinted with permission by the publisher, ABRAMS BOOKS, from Lillian Bassman: Lingerie, March 2012.

After getting positive reviews all over Europe and North America, the movie Chico & Rita has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature! You can view a full list of nominees here. Many movies on the nominee list have been adapted from books, but Chico & Rita was made into a graphic novel based on the film. This book is coming out from Abrams Books on February 1st (ISBN 9781906838294) and would be a beautiful addition to any book lover's shelf.

This gorgeous book tells a love story between a piano player and a singer. Starting with the backdrop of Cuba, then moving to New York and Las Vegas, the couple fight and make up while giving amazing performances. This book will make you want to go dancing, guaranteed.